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Of Skylines and Broken Hearts
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Of Skylines and Broken Hearts |
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Skyfire 
since 2000-12-27
Posts 3381Riding 
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***Andrew stole my muse (bad Andrew), so my creativity has been kind of on the lacking side. I posted an "Inspire Me" plea to try and get me back into writing prose, my first love, which has been very lacking in the last ten years or so. To be honest I didn't intend for it to end up the way that it did, and this was actually quite difficult for me to write, it just didn't want to come out. So much for being able to freewrite. I'm not sure why it wanted to be set in the UK, it just kind of happened that way. So for a first serious attempt which had an attitude about being written, I think this turned out not too shabby. The first line is courtesy of icebox, thank you very much  ***The City's skyline mocked me. Bright lights and concrete, 2 A.M. and I needed a drink. The wail of an ambulance reached my ears and I wondered in passing if it was going for anyone I knew; it sounded like it was heading in the right direction. Surprisingly, for this time of night, the streets were remarkably crowded. I supposed the pubs had just closed and quickly sidestepped a group of bottle blonde teenage girls who were certainly under the legal age; I didn't need to be bogged down with the likes of them right now. The throbbing bass of a wannabe truck made my head hurt and I ducked into my building. I made my way up to my apartment (flat, I automatically corrected myself), let myself in, and went straight for the cupboard, not even bothering to turn the lights on. I poured myself a drink and caught sight of that skyline through the window. Everything is grand and cheery it seemed to say to me. Nothing was grand and cheery. Not now. Life was just another experience to get over with as quickly as possible. Knowing my luck though, I probably inherited my father's longevity and suicide wasn't an option. I'd get to spend the next seventy years wallowing in my own misery. I didn't even belong here; I wanted to go home. No point in staying here now, in this land of stiff upper lips and bad teeth. I could go home, settle back into rural living, buy a horse or five. I could get a job, surely my education and credentials were still good enough... probably better now that I'd had experience working here. I took another mouthful of my drink and savoured every flavour in it. That skyline still mocked me; I wanted to flick a light switch and have it all plunge into darkness. I wanted to turn off the sirens, the people below; I wanted to remove all the buildings and concrete and replace them with trees, or open field, or a barn and stables and a riding ring... I suddenly yearned to see the stars again, was there even a moon tonight? I searched in vain what sky that wasn't blocked by buildings. I finished my drink and realised what mug I was using. Anger flared up inside me again and I hurled the mug at the wall and watched it shatter into a million pieces just like my heart and life had an hour ago. I'd leave soon. Stay long enough to pack my things and send them on ahead, and to pack his things to dump unceremoniously at his feet when the he dared come around to beg for my forgiveness. My lip curled as I remembered the smirk on his face when I walked in on them. Arrogant creep wasn't even sorry, he wouldn't come begging for my forgiveness. Very suddenly I hated him. I moved through the rooms like a panther, in total darkness... Aside from the skyline of course. I couldn't look at it, with it's fake brightness and promises. I picked up his belongings almost tenderly, his clothes still smelled like him. I felt the tears well up and swallowed the urge to cry. I didn't have time for that nonsense right now, I'd cry when I was home and away from this place. Where there would be absolutely no chance of him walking in on me in my moment of weakness. Oh but I would allow myself to be weak this time. I'd be as weak as I needed to be in order to get over him as fast as possible. The phone rang, causing me to jump out of my skin. I glanced at the display and was surprised to see it was from overseas. Now how on earth would she know what happened, I wondered as I picked up the phone. Her voice warmed me to my core and reinforced my longing to go home. I told her about my night and was filled with satisfaction to hear her voice fill with anger at him. Maybe it was a good thing she had stayed home, she was sounding a little homicidal right now. She told me that I was coming home, no questions asked, it was time to be where I belonged, not off living half a world away where she couldn't hug me. I agreed, though I really didn't have much choice but to agree, and we made plans to get me home. We hung up after she said a few nasty things about him (making me laugh of course) and told me she loved me and couldn't wait to see me. I gathered up all his things like she had suggested and went out to the balcony. I looked at the people down below and dropped everything over the railing without bothering to warn anyone. I watched as a large part of the last two years of my life fell and felt something akin to regret. Not regret that it had ended, but regret that it had ended the way it did. I saw someone look up and when his blue eyes met mine I returned his smirk. Even at this distance I could see anger fill his eyes, but what was he to do? He could come up here and confront me about it, running the high risk of being hit repeatedly; or he could try and sue me, though even he knew that no judge would find me guilty of anything after hearing my side of the story. He glared, gathered his things and stalked away, my laughter following him down the sidewalk. It was either laugh or sob, and I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he made me cry. I turned to go back into my soon to be empty flat and got another look at that skyline. Suddenly it didn't seem so mocking anymore, but it was still overly bright and I still hated it. |
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| © Copyright 2006 Rhonda Adolph - All Rights Reserved | |||
PoetryIsLife
since 2001-10-27
Posts 1763...in my boxers... |
Wow. |
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latteaddict213
since 2006-02-17
Posts 523Colorado |
it's amazing i really like it Jessica |
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Rainbowdust Member
since 2002-12-05
Posts 320Sydney, Australia |
"That skyline still mocked me; I wanted to flick a light switch and have it all plunge into darkness. I wanted to turn off the sirens, the people below; I wanted to remove all the buildings and concrete and replace them with trees, or open field, or a barn and stables and a riding ring... I suddenly yearned to see the stars again, was there even a moon tonight? I searched in vain what sky that wasn't blocked by buildings." I have felt this soooo many times; this was such a brilliant write from an awesome first line! The soul would have no rainbows, had the eyes no tears. |
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Rainbowdust Member
since 2002-12-05
Posts 320Sydney, Australia |
"That skyline still mocked me; I wanted to flick a light switch and have it all plunge into darkness. I wanted to turn off the sirens, the people below; I wanted to remove all the buildings and concrete and replace them with trees, or open field, or a barn and stables and a riding ring... I suddenly yearned to see the stars again, was there even a moon tonight? I searched in vain what sky that wasn't blocked by buildings." I have felt this soooo many times; this was such a brilliant write from an awesome first line! The soul would have no rainbows, had the eyes no tears. |
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icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows |
Very nicely done! |
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